Good afternoon All,

THis weekend while attempting to start vehicle for previous issues, i replaced fuse #30 under drivers side dash......then when opened key light smoke came out from engine bay but it was so quick i had no time to see where it came from............

Now trunk wont start at all.........Emits a sound as if cranks on battery are low (which they are not) (click click sound) or starter's bad (which is not and i took it for testing to autozone)

I've done some research and some folks say crank sensor has to do with it????

i am even wondering if engine's fried (which shouldnt be).............

Could i be going crazzy here.................

Thanks in advance for help guys.....................keep in mind i've read hanes manual and owners manual..........

 

Crank sensor??? WTF? That won't keep the starter from cranking the engine, only from cranking but not firing.

First, put a large ratchet on the crank bolt and see if you can manually turn the crankshaft. If so, you've eliminated all the catastrophic (and some not so severe) stuff. If it won't turn by hand, remove the serpentine belt and repeat. I've had pulley bearings lock up the engine so it couldn't crank.

Assuming the engine can be cranked by hand... You have a starter problem. That is usually due to a bad starter or bad cables. Sometimes, battery connections or the starter relay.

Turn the headlights on and hit the starter while observing the lights. It they dim out, you're left with a battery, cable, or connection fault.

Bad cables/connections can be easily identified by connecting a voltmeter (a digital one works easiest) across what should be two common points and then hitting a starter. A good cable or connection will shoe a very small voltage drop under load. A bad connection or cable will show a large (even up to most of the battery voltage) voltage between points that should be electrically the same a large current is passing through it.

Disconnect those RFI caps....

Steve

 

Crazy? No. Over your head? Yes. Pull the plugs before you spin the crank. That way you'll only be fighting the valve springs and not compression resistance. The voltage drop method is an ideal troubleshooting method for this kind of problem, but do you know how to do it. You have to know how to anticipate the results before you start using the DVOM or else the readings you get are meaningless. Do you know what readings you should get as you go point to point from the power source(Battery) to ground. You have to check the batt posts and teminals. the starter relay input and output to be sure you don't have a voltage drop there. Then there is the starter itself and don't forget the heavy gauge wire going to the starter as well as your ground straps. Are ALL of these connection points clean and tight. One thing about that smoke you spoke about. Once you let the smoke out of a component it's hard to get it back in. It's easy to let the smoke out, but damn near impossible to get it back in. You better find out where that smoke came from and do something about it. I doubt if you're fast enough to get the smoke back in there. After you make all these repairs you might be rid of that annoying "click click sound" you speak of. Good Luck! You're going to need it.

 

Why is that?

 

If the caps are bad, they can act as shorts to ground.

 

So why not replace them like any other bad part? Besides cutting down on RFI, they also absorb spikes in the electrical system. I would think that without them you'd run the risk of popping some of your electronic components.

 

We don't know if the caps are the problem yet. If the caps are leaky, then they'll be stealing energy that should be going to the cops. But, he needs to solve the starting problem first before playing with the caps.

 

Oh okay sorry for the misunderstanding, I though you were saying to permanently disconnect the RFI capacitors.

 

thanks so much all................."Do you know what readings you should get as you go point to point from the power source(Battery) to ground. You have to check the batt posts and teminals. the starter relay input and output to be sure you don't have a voltage drop there. Then there is the starter itself and don't forget the heavy gauge wire going to the starter as well as your ground straps. Are ALL of these connection points clean and tight. One thing about that smoke you spoke about. Once you let the smoke out of a component it's hard to get it back in. It's easy to let the smoke out, but damn near impossible to get it back in."

I got no idea readings i should be getting.............

Now i do remember guys one of the pulley bearings was making squeky noise since i bought truck......could that be the case? did it lock up not allowing engine to rotate am wondering? i guess best way to find out is taking pulley out and rotating by hand right?

am trying to isolate things....my starter / battery are good.....i cleaned connections under neath car to starter still no hope :-(

thanks a bunch!......let me know what other thigns u guys think i should be looking into in the veh.....

 

Have you tried jumping the starter yet? If the starter turns normal, then the problem is with in the starting system. If the starter just sits there or clicks then the problem is with the starter/solenoid. If the starter tries to turn but binds up, then you've got a problem internal to the engine. If that happens, remove the belt and plugs and try turning the engine by hand. If you can't turn it, then that definitely points to a internal engine problem. If the engine can be turned by hand, then check each pulley to see how easily in spins.

 

sorry i've never jumped a starter.....i took the starter to autozone though and test went successfully.....should i have my wife turn key on and i go under car see if i hear starter attempting to engage?

thanks again!

 

Let's start with the basic things first. Go to Walmart and get a battery terminal cleaner. About 3 to 4 inches long & 1 1/2 inches diameter, chrome or silver color. Go home remove and clean both battery cables, clean both terminals on battery. Mix up some soda water if you need to clean up battery and cables. You might need to charge battery now of let it set a few hours and it may build up enough juice to start engine. Even though battery cables may look clean on outside they build up corrosion on the surface between terminals and cables, usually a dark almost black color. The smoke you noted was probably a high resistant contact at the battery cable. Hope this helps. Alway start with the simple things first.

 

At this point you might as well remove the serpentine belt to reduce the parasitic load. It couldn't hurt especially if you have a noisy idler that is loading it down. If you have a known good Batt and starter as you say you do there isn't much left. Try jumping the starter relay and then jump 12vdc directly to the starter itself. The "clicking" sound is due to insufficient current getting to the starter. You can start at the starter and work backwards or start at the battery and work forwards. There should be very little if any voltage drop at the junction points because connection points are NOT loads therefore they should not use voltage. All your voltage shoud make it all the way to your starter. If it doesn't where is it being lost? That's the question you have to answer.

 

thanks a bunch guys..... i am going to check all those 3 things today....

1. pulley bearrings

2.voltage going to starter

3.clean battery terminals (PS: it has that oily substance we put in to protect terminals)-but i am still cleaning it just in case......

sounds like a plan...i'll post back feedback as soon as i check thanks for all of your help...feels like i got a family at home!

 

good morning all....

Still no luck on turning on vehicle...............dont know wut to try anymore.......:-(